Why Prioritize Growth?
The Manhattan Growth Plan seeks to diversify our economy by increasing private-sector jobs, growing our tax base, elevating incomes, improving housing options and affordability, and attracting and retaining residents. Prioritizing desirable growth will secure a bright future for our area.
Vision for the Future
Our updated strategy for growth centers around investments, policies, processes and initiatives to foster new development and growth.
Manhattan Growth Plan pursues opportunities in target sectors in which we have a competitive advantage:
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Agricultural equipment and technology
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Animal health products and science
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Biomanufacturing, biosecurity and food safety
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Equipment, machine and metal fabrication
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Health care
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Construction trades
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Reducing our reliance on government and creating more taxable commercial properties will decrease the tax burden on existing residents. Pursing the plan from different angles and in sectors where we have an advantage will increase our chances of success.
As our area confronts the need to reignite growth and support our economic, workforce and fiscal sustainability as a community, we all must embed this responsibility into our day-to-day operations. This will require an intentional shift in mindset and culture. ​
We need to adopt a "YES, IF ..." instead of "NO, BECAUSE ..." mentality.
Manhattan Growth Plan
1. Expedite INVESTMENTS in a more competitive real estate inventory to enable desirable growth
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Hire a location consultant to conduct a Regional Inventory Audit and Mock Site Visit to help optimize the preparation and promotion of land, buildings, and lab space.
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Work with local partners to optimize an existing industrial site for shovel-readiness and designation as a new REDI (Readiness Evaluation for Development and Investment) Site by the Site Selectors Guild (SSG).
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Work with regional partners to identify a site with proximity to I-70 that could potentially accommodate a project of regional economic significance.
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Enable and proactively utilize available funding streams to advance the development of needed housing stock.
2. Craft stimulative new POLICIES that incentivize desirable growth and target sectors
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Help reduce development costs by refining the Manhattan Development Code (MDC) and Manhattan Stormwater Criteria (MSC) consistent with the Crossroads MHK Housing Market Analysis’ (HMA) recommendations.
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Update and simplify the Manhattan Economic Development Incentive Funding Criteria to align with “desirable growth” KPIs defined herein.
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Formalize a flexible and customized workforce training incentive in partnership with Manhattan Area Technical College (MATC).
3. Augment development review PROCESSES to improve predictability, efficiency and accountability
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Hire a Development Coordinator to aid the completeness of applications, the efficiency of reviews, and the adoption of a “yes, if…” culture.
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Form a new Development Review Committee (DRC) at the City of Manhattan comprised of departmental representatives to help expedite review and feedback via an Initial Screening Process (ISP).
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Establish clear goals and performance metrics associated with development review at the City and County levels to aid objectivity, predictability, efficiency, and accountability.
4. Invest in modern PARTNERSHIPS and INITIATIVES that promote desirable growth and target sectors
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Open a Regional Economic & Business Research Center to help optimize business retention and expansion, corporate attraction, fiscal impact analysis, performance reporting, and other objectives.
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Implement a proactive lead generation strategy supporting startup and corporate recruitment in target sectors.
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Develop a collaborative new initiative — the Request for Investment (RFI) — to solicit desired investment in target sectors and gain unique exposure for the Manhattan area.
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Evaluate opportunities to expand and/or formalize regional economic and workforce development. partnerships.